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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Even in a city that feels like it must be the busiest on earth, there are spots of quite, calm, and peace. Istanbul has quite a few of those spots. One day, after mistakenly purchasing the wrong ferry tokens... Ricky Cohete and I discovered a distant island and a hidden cove.

The ferry was packed. We sat in the dinning compartment, and I spent the trip journaling. We landed at a sleepy little town, glowing in the sunlight. We strolled past houses that seemed an odd mixture of Cape Cod, Russian, and Victorian architecture. Everyone seemed peacefully headed to a beach, a mixture of locals and a melange of friendly street dogs. A pup followed us. We named him Giuseppe. He followed us down roads and and through forests. We sauntered on till we discovered a collection of hand-painted signs pointing through a forest to a cliff. we headed that direction. ... down that path we discovered a hidden little cove. An old man tended the beach. From a concrete hut that looked like it had been there for at least 50 years he sold tea and french fries. While we were later to learn that this charming old man also perhaps used the cove to run drugs- but for that day- it was a bastion of tranquility and an escape from the hectic life of Istanbul. There was a guy camping who offered us apples... and a couple sunning themselves on deck chairs. Every person who met Giuseppe offered him water.

Guiseppe stayed with us all day- darting in and out of the forest and always staying near. By the time we got on the crowded ferry, the sun was setting. It was an adventure that was surreal and calming.